Australia | US
Professional Training is now open for 2025
The Institute of Somatic Psychotherapy (IOSP) is delighted to offer mental health practitioners a training program in Somatic Psychotherapy that puts the embodied relationship between client/patient and practitioner at the centre of attention.
The IOSP program aims to provide participants with the theoretical foundations and experience of incorporating embodied relating in 2-person clinical practice. The program is generic and school independent. The focus throughout the training is on embodied practice – the embodiment of the client, the embodiment of you, and you with the client.
The AU training will be delivered by Guest Lecturers: Gill Westland, Kathryn Stauffer and Slađana Đorđević as well as the founders Ernst Meyer and Veronik Verkest who are located in Australia. Each module has a particular theoretical focus and is supported by set readings.
The seminars and syndicates are held on Monday 6-8pm Australian Eastern Daylight Saving time (see the brochure for exact dates).
Modules
- Introduction to Body/Somatic Psychotherapy
- Sense of Self and Embodiment
- Relational Psychotherapy and Verbal and Non-verbal Communication
- Trauma-informed Practice
- How we Make our Work Visible
Students will gain an understanding of:
- What Somatic Psychotherapy is, and what is not considered to be Somatic Psychotherapy
- How to become more embodied and how to help others become more embodied
- How trauma affects the body-mind Self and how to address it
- A deeper understanding of Somatic Psychotherapy and how to incorporate a wide variety of approaches, practices and exercises
- The somatic connections with and components of meditation and mindfulness practice
- How to practice Somatic Psychotherapy effectively, even without touching
- How Somatic Psychotherapy approaches can be used to enhance other specific clinical presentations
- How to communicate our Somatic Psychotherapy practice and make our work more visible.
Program Options
Course students have two distinct options to participate in the IOSP Somatic Psychotherapy Training Program:
1: ‘Full Somatic Psychotherapy Training Program’ consists of, and requires participation in the following:
- 15 live online 2-hour fortnightly Seminars
- Set readings and exercises
- 12 fortnightly Syndicate meetings
- Significant Self-study
- Journaling
- Course Tutor Contact
- Project work
Participants can expect a more in-depth experiential training and learning process through the Syndicate meetings, available in Option 1 only.
Both options are for already trained, qualified and practising counsellors, psychotherapists, social workers and other professional mental health practitioners. All full course applicants will be interviewed.
The next Full Somatic Psychotherapy Training Program starts in March 2025
The seminars and syndicates are held on Monday 6-8pm Australian Eastern Daylight Saving time (see the brochure for exact dates)
Non-refundable application processing fee: $250
Full fee : $3,300 (Early Bird $330 discount until 15 December 2024)
2: The ‘Seminar Only’ program gives access to and participation in:
- 15 live online 2-hour fortnightly Seminars
- Set readings and exercises
Book and pay below for our seminars-only course for 2025.
Total cost $1,980 = $1800 + GST
This option is for already trained and qualified ‘mental health practitioners’ who are looking for continuing education.
Timeline – Download brochure (above) to see dates and times
Entry Requirements
Applicants are required to have:
- undergone at least 200 hours of relevant training in a ‘mental health’ qualification such as: psychotherapy, social work, counselling, psychology or psychiatry.
- current experience working with people in these fields on a one-on-one and/or group basis.
- self-awareness, emotional maturity and intellectual capacity for both experiential learning and academic study.
Full Program applicants please review course requirements prior to registration. Interviews will be scheduled following registration to further explore aspects of the course and ensure all applicants adequately meet requirements.
For any initial enquiries, please contact us.